“All right, all right, keep your hair on!” Kyra grinned.
It didn’t take them long to walk across the park towards Redlands and soon they were turning into the driveway.
“I’ve brought Kyra to see the puppies!” she told Auntie Jo, as they popped their heads round the office door.
Auntie Jo looked up from her computer. “Hi Kyra!” She grinned. “That’s great news.”
“Hi Auntie Jo.” Kyra smiled back. “I just thought I’d like to see them. Mum said they were really cute.”
“They are.” Auntie Jo nodded. “I’ll call your mum and tell her you’re both here. I can run you home in the car if you like.”
“That would be great,” said Zoe. “Come on, Kyra – they’re down here.” Zoe grabbed Kyra’s hand and pulled her down the corridor. “Don’t worry. I don’t think there are any really big dogs in the shelter at the moment,” she added, seeing her sister glancing cautiously into the pens.
“I just don’t like it when they jump against the wire,” Kyra murmured.
“Biscuit and Choc do jump up, but they’re really little,” Zoe promised. “Cookie won’t, not till she’s worked out who you are, she’s a bit shy.”
“OK. Oh, Zoe, are these them?” Kyra stopped in front of the puppies’ pen, smiling at them delightedly. They were all asleep, for once, flopped in a sort of puppy pile in their basket. The pile heaved and wriggled every so often, and as Zoe gently undid the front of the pen, it struggled apart and turned into three hairy, whiskery brown-and-white puppies who frisked happily around Zoe’s feet.
“Do you want me to bring one of the puppies out?” Zoe asked. “Then you could stroke just one – you wouldn’t have them jumping about.”
Kyra nodded, and Zoe picked Cookie up. Cookie nuzzled at her happily. She’d been hoping that Zoe would come soon. She looked around curiously as Zoe carried her out of the pen, leaving her two brothers behind, looking rather jealous. Cookie stared down at them, wagging her stubby little tail.
Zoe was carrying her to another girl, a taller girl with the same dark hair and eyes. Cookie looked at her with her head on one side – she looked very like Zoe. But she didn’t seem to be confident with dogs the way that Zoe was. She was looking rather nervous and, as she put out her hand, she patted her very quickly, as if she thought Cookie might snap.
Curious about this girl who looked so much like her favourite person, Cookie wriggled in Zoe’s arms, stretching towards the other girl.
“She likes you!” Zoe said laughing.
“Does she?” Kyra asked, sounding surprised, and rather pleased.
“Yes, she does,” said Zoe. “Do you want to hold her?”
“I don’t know…” Kyra looked uncertain. “OK, let me try.” Kyra nodded slowly, then let Zoe put Cookie into her arms.
Cookie snuggled up against Kyra’s chin, and slowly, Kyra petted her ears. The little dog closed her eyes.
“Oh, Zoe, she’s gorgeous.” Kyra smiled down at the puppy. “No wonder you’ve been spending so much time here.”
“She is, isn’t she?” Zoe sighed sadly. “And now I just can’t bear to think of letting her go…”
Chapter Seven
Cookie scampered down the outdoor yard, chasing after the jingly ball. It was her favourite toy. She loved the noise it made, even though she didn’t quite understand where the noise came from. It was definitely hers – Zoe had given it to her. It was the only toy she bothered to fight over.
Biscuit raced past her and dived on to the ball, rolling over with it with his paws, and growling excitedly.
Cookie let out a sharp, furious bark, and jumped on top of him, scrabbling to get the ball back. Unfortunately, Biscuit was still quite a bit bigger than she was, and he wriggled and growled. Then somehow he was sitting on top of her instead, and he still had the ball, in his teeth now. He shook it backwards and forwards, still growling, so that it jingled madly.
“Stop squabbling, you two!” Zoe ran over. “Biscuit, Biscuit, look! Stretchy bone! Your best bone! Come on! Where’s it going?”
Biscuit sprang up, dropping the ball, and dancing round in circles as Zoe waved the blue rubber bone. Then she flung it down the yard, and he galloped after it like a racehorse.
Cookie seized her ball gratefully, and sat down on Zoe’s feet, panting.
“You really love that, don’t you?” Zoe reached down and picked her up. “Look, there’s a nice sunny patch there. Let’s just sit and watch those two brothers of yours being mad…”
It was a beautiful warm May day, and Zoe had shorts on for the first time that year. She ought to have been feeling happy, but all she could think about was Becca. She’d be here soon. Which puppy would she choose? Zoe ran her hand gently down Cookie’s back, over and over, as Cookie shook the ball gently to-and-fro, listening to the jingly noises.
“What if she chooses you, Cookie?” Zoe whispered. “I’ve been trying not to think about it. It was bad enough just thinking about Becca having a dog, and me not being able to have one. But what if it’s actually you that she wants to take back with her?” She sighed, and leaned over, resting her cheek against Cookie’s wiry fur for a moment. “I suppose at least I’d still get to see you. That’s if Becca ever talks to me again, the way I’ve been this week. I’ve been awful.”
Cookie looked round at her for a moment, her eyes dark and sparkly. She licked Zoe’s hand.
“Thank you!” Zoe grinned. “Was that to tell me you don’t think I’ve been awful? I have, though. I was horrible, actually. I just can’t tell if it would be worse to never see you again, or to see you belong to someone else! I don’t know whether to hope that Becca chooses you or that she doesn’t.” This time Zoe heaved a massive sigh, so that Cookie turned round and stared at her. “Sorry! Did I shake you up and down?”
“Zoe!” Auntie Jo was calling her. “Becca and her mum and dad are here! They’re just getting out of their car. Go and say hello. I’ll bring these three in.”
“Oh! OK.” Zoe gently put Cookie down, and the puppy scampered off after the ball again. She walked slowly through the shelter to the reception area, where Becca and her parents were now talking to Susie, who was on the reception desk.
“You two can chat while we just fill these in,” Becca’s mum told them, smiling.
Becca couldn’t have told her mum how grumpy Zoe had been all week, Zoe realized gratefully. “Hi…” she said to Becca.
“Hi.” Becca stared at her, and then she pulled Zoe over into the corner, as if they were going to look at photos on the wall of the dogs and cats who’d been rehomed recently. “Zoe, is there something going on?” she asked. “Are you mad with me?”
Zoe went red and looked at her feet. “No… I…” She didn’t know what to say.
“You are!” Becca cried out. “You’ve been acting really weird all week! What it it? What have I done?”
Zoe sighed. “Nothing. Nothing at all. I know I’ve been funny, but it isn’t your fault. It’s me. I’ve been jealous … jealous because you were getting a dog, and I couldn’t have one, not ever. We don’t have anyone at home to look after a dog, and Kyra hates them anyway. I’m so sorry I’ve been horrible.”
“Oh, Zoe.” Becca gave her friend a big hug. “Why didn’t you say?” she asked her, stepping back, her eyes round with surprise. “I’d have understood!”